Manhattan

I originally made this cocktail with a combination of whiskies I had available according to the standard NY Bartender's Guide recipe. There are many more including sweet, dry, and "perfect" variations. Use Canadian whiskey or bourbon to change it up. Then there are also blended and Irish whiskey versions too. Outside of whiskey, there's tequila, brandy, and even dark rum versions. But this is the original as was first made at the Manhattan Club in New York.

• 3 oz. rye whiskey
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
• dash Angostura bitters
• maraschino cherry

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Mint Julep

This is the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby, the spring horse race that's first in the Triple Crown. It is an especially strong drink, which explains why so many people get drunk wearing big hats in the midfield--or at least it explains a part of this tradition.

Another tradition is to use a Julep cup, a metal cup that gets really frosty when you use crushed ice. None of that is in the recipe that I have but seems to have evolved along with the large hats that go with the race.

• 8-10 mint leaves
• Simple syrup
• 2 oz. bourbon

Muddle mint leaves in 1 tsp. of simple syrup in a highball glass. Add shaved or crushed ice and bourbon and stir. garnish with several unmuddled mint leaves.
This photo shows off my small batch 1783 Evan Williams and the 2014 Kentucky Derby julep glass that Meghan got from the Evan Williams distillery.

Bourbon

The saying goes, “All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.” It is a matter of categorization. Whiskey is a distilled grain spirit that has to be aged in oak however long you choose to age it and in whatever type of barrels you use. Bourbon is special—it must contain at least 51 percent corn in the mash and be distilled to no less than 80 proof (%40 alcohol). Then it must be aged in charred oak barrels for at least 2 years if it is
straight bourbon or 4 years if it is blended to ensure quality. While there are clear whiskeys, (due to being unaged or aged for a very short time) all bourbon whiskey has a dark amber hue due to the charred oak barrels.

Flavor
Compared to most whiskey, bourbon is softer (due to the water from the region of its distillation—usually Kentucky) and characterized by a mellow vanilla flavor from the vanillin compounds it picks up from the charred oak. Oak is a major feature in bourbon’s flavor profile as well, and the use of corn as a major component means that bourbon is less spicy than rye and subtler than the all-too-noticable malted barley used in its Irish and scotch cousins.

Photograph and Terminology
This is a photo of my Evan Williams Single Barrel. A single barrel means that the whiskey contained in the bottle comes from one barrel selected by the distiller to be sold as an exceptional example of the distillery’s production. It is by definition “straight,” which means it comes from one distillery and is not a blend of several distilleries’ products. Most straight bourbons are a blend of barrels from the same distillery, which makes them more consistent from batch to batch. Sour mash, which also provides consistency, means that part of the fermented (sour) mash is saved from each batch to be  introduced into the next. The sour mash does not imply a sour flavor, it means that the yeast strain used to make alcohol from the mash is maintained rather than starting with a fresh batch with new yeast strains, much like sour dough bread.

Good bourbon is often best experienced neat or on ice. Some like Maker’ Mark have a distinctive sweet taste due to the portion of wheat used in the mash. Evan Williams is known for its balanced flavor with a little rye and wheat in the mash while its primary grain is necessarily corn. Unlike scotch, almost all bourbon shares a similar flavor profile, color, and mouthfeel. This predictability lends itself to mixing, when any bourbon, fine or cheap, will do.

Mix it with pineapple juice for a Kentucky Cocktail, muddle it with orange and simple syrup in an Old Fashioned, mix it with muddled mint for a Mint Julep, shake it with sweet vermouth for your Manhattan. One thing you will notice is that bourbon cocktails keep the flavor of the whiskey at the forefront and don’t try to mask it with too much additional flavor. Mixing with bourbon means working with the spirit, not against it, and using additional liqueurs and syrups that have a similar taste. Bourbon does not like to be hurried or ignored, and a good drink will hold your attention.

Whiskey Sour

• 1 1/2 oz. whiskey (blended Canadian)
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup

Mix all ingredients in a highball glass full of ice and stir. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Dog Sled

Ok. If you like something fruity to enjoy at the beach, and you like the way whiskey blends with juices, I have the cocktail for you.

• 2 oz. Canadian whiskey

• 2 oz. orange juice

• 1 tsp. lemon juice

• 1 tsp. grenadine

Pour all ingredients in a highball glass with ice and stir.
Hey, I am not kidding when I say this is a real drink. I didn’t invent it, though the name seems incongruous with the tropical nature of the drink. Whiskey, especially Canadian whiskey can lend a spicy zip to tropical drinks. Don’t rule it out when you are running low on rum.

Blood And Sand

This is the classic cocktail with the singed orange twist. I did this over the range. I also used Cherry Heering like they do at The Velvet Tango Room.

• 1 part (1 oz.) scotch
• 1 part (1 oz.) cherry brandy
• 1 part (1oz.) sweet vermouth
• 1 part (1 oz.) orange juice

Shake all ingredients on ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Kona Cooler

• 1 part (1 oz.) blended or Canadian whiskey
• 1 part (1 oz.) creme de cacao
• 2 parts (2 oz.) pineapple juice

Pour all ingredients with ice into a Collins glass and stir. Garnish with fruit (i.e. cherry and orange or pineapple slices).